When James and Francisca suggested a late-night hike in the woods on Halloween for ‘ghost hunting’ Loui should have said something like ‘Are you a fucking moron?’ or maybe ‘Do you have a death wish?’ but instead she said, ‘That sounds like fun, let’s do it,’ like a dumbass. Thus, she found herself in the middle of the woods. At 10 pm. On Halloween armed with nothing up a flashlight, her Halloween costume, and hope. Brilliant. This surely couldn’t end poorly.
“Ya know, dressing as a sheet ghost and wondering around the woods hunting for ghost was probably not the best decision on my part.” James muses as he gets his sheet unstuck from yet another bush.
“At least there's no one else out here to witness your tomfoolery.” Loui snickers as she looks back and watches him. “Just us.”
“That’s almost worse.” James huffs as he trudges past her, “At least other people wouldn’t be able to make fun of me to my face.”
“Do you even know where we’re going?” Francisca calls from a little up ahead.
“Of course I do! What, do you think I’d drag you all the way out here and not know where we’re going?” James asks as he walks backwards in front of them, facing them with his arms outstretched slightly as he gestures to himself.
“Yes.” Both girls reply dryly.
James rolls his eyes, “No faith, from either of you.” He turns back around and walks on, “And it’s a surprise, I found this place like a week back. I’ve been waiting to show you.” There’s a smug sound in his voice.
Loui and Fransica glance at eachother with mutal looks of exasperation and reluctant intriuge.
“How much longer then?” Francsica questions.
“Not to much further, probably a quater mile or so.”
“Not to far then.” Loui agrees, “... still can’t believe you convinced me to come do this with you...” She sighs under her breath.
“You a sucker for Halloween esc things.” Francisca pipes up with a teasing smile on her face.
“Shush, ‘Cisca.” Loui glares halfheartedly.
James sudenly pauses, turning to face them. “Ladies...” Loui and Francisca could hear the smug smile in his voice, “We’ve arrived...” He says dramatically as he steps aside, allowing the two girls to appraoch.
“Drama queen.” Loui teases as she steps up to the top of the hill looking out, Francisca at her side.
“Its called flare, Loui.” James snarks back, joining them and looking out with a smug smile hidden under his costume.
Before the three of them stood an old, abandoned carnival ground, complete with a few collapsed buildings and broken-down rides. Just down the hill stood the gate, iron bars rusted and overgrown with bushes and vines. It was held shut by a half fallen off chain and padlock that looked like it could fall apart at the slightest jostling.
“Creepy....” Loui mutters under her breath as her eyes scan the scene before her, “How hasn’t anyone noticed this before...”
“I mean it's a little bit out.” James shrugs, “I only stumbled upon it because I was doing some exploring.”
“Have you checked it out yet?” Francisca asks.
“No, not yet, I wanted to do that with you guys!” James chirps cheerily.
“Aw, that's sweet.” Loui comments.
Francisca rolls her eyes, “You we’re too much of a pansy to do it on your own.”
“Lies and slander.” James denies, crossing his arms and looking away. A clear sign he was lying as he avoided the remark.
Loui and Francisca glance at each other. Loui shakes her head. Francisca smiles back.
“Well, if your sooo brave, why don't you lead the way.” Francisca suggests with a smile on her face, challenging him to say no.
James is quite for a moment, “I will,” He straightens up expression hidden behind his costume, “Watch and learn.” He struts up to the iron gates, the girls following behind with mild amusement.
James grabs onto the padlock and gives it a good tug. The iron gates creak slightly and the chains rattle, but it doesn't give. James yanks it harder, and the latch breaks free, the rusted metal bending as it unlatches. The metal chain around the gates falls away, clattering to the ground. The gates creak a little as the wind pushes on them slightly, the hinges obviously needed an entire bottle of WD-40.
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James turns and gives a dramatic bow. Loui and Francisca roll their eyes in turn.
“These locks are really easy to break.” James waves the padlock a little, “You see the reason that is, is because--”
Francisca cuts him off, “James.”
“Yes?”
“You're stalling.”
“... Right.” He turns and Loui can faintly hear him take a breath. “Here we go...” He pushes the gate open.
The gate creaks ominously, briefly getting snagged on the undergrowth and bushes all around it. James is forced to push harder to open it, grunting a little as he strains against the weight of the metal bars. It gives way causing him to stumble slightly. The gate falls open the rest of the way on its own, slamming with a clang as it hits the fence with enough force to rattle the entire gate.
“Easy peasy.” James straightens back up, dusting his hands off before shoving them back into his pockets, “I really should have brought gloves those bars were cold!”
Loui and Francisca step up beside him, “Come on, let's explore.” Francisca insists, pulling James along as she steps past the gate, Loui not far behind.
The first thing the three couldn’t help but notice upon entering the ground proper was the sweet scent of popcorn and cotton candy wafting through the air. Which Loui couldn’t help but find odd considering the place looked like no such sweets had been made there in years. Or any food for that matter, this place would never make it past the health department.
“Do you guys smell that?” Loui couldn't help but question as she sniffs the air a little pausing before adding, “Like... popcorn?”
“Yeah... that’s odd right?” James adds a little hesitantly. “Who’s making popcorn out here?”
Francisca scans the area quietly trying to pinpoint where the smell was coming from. There’s a pause in her step as she moves forward, her hand sliding off James’s arm. All is silent aside from the crunching of leaves beneath her boats. Loui and James practically holding their breath as they watch her.
She pauses a few steps ahead of them, only a few feet away from the dilapidated stand that looked like it once was used to sell tickets. “Do you hear that?” She asks softly, quietly, listening carefully to the noise inaudible to Loui and James. Her head tilts slightly as she turns her ear towards the sound, trying to hear it better.
“Here what...?” Loui asks, a small frown on her face, though not visible to anyone else under the pumpkin head she wore.
“That music...” Francisca answers, Loui could hear the small amount of nostalgia in her voice.
Loui and James frown as they briefly glance at each other and then back at Francisca. James was about to say something before hesitating, noticing the way Francisca took a small step forward, her shoulders relaxing a little. He glances at Loui again, who glances back both equally as confused and concerned as the other.
“It's... nice.” Francisca’s voice cuts through the tense silence, seemingly unaware of it entirely. “Like... circus music, but more... exciting, joyful.” Her voice grows more confident with each word, there’s a pep in her step as she moves forwards.
“Francisca.” Loui calls, there is a slight edge to her voice as she uses her friend's full name. “We’re not hearing anything.” Beside her James nods along.
Francisca doesn’t even glance back at the two of them, “Come on, come closer.” she urges, waving them forward.
James steps forwards instinctually, “Francisca, seriously what are you... talking about...” James pauses tilting his head, “Huh, there is music...”
Loui blinks and walks forwards as well, “Seriously...?” Then she begins to hear it, nearly inaudible. She blinks in surprise and walks forward, towards her friends, further into the carnival ground. “Huh, it is like circus music.” She muses as she feels herself calming down slightly, her shoulders untensing and her heart rate slowing down.
“We should find where its coming from.” Fransisca walks forward, Loui can see a smile on her face and can’t help but mirror it with one of her own.
“Don’t you think it's a little odd we’re hearing music from nowhere? At the entrance of abandoned carnival grounds in the woods?” Loui asks, despite the seriousness of her words her tone doesn't match. Her words are laced with a small amount of giddiness. Her voice sounds almost teasing in a way.
Francisca can’t help but smile, despite the small nagging voice in the back of her mind insisting something wasn’t right. Despite the knot in her stomach, her most primal of instincts trying to tell her something wasn’t right. She smiles, and its genuine, “Isn’t that fascinating?”
James nods absent mindedly, listening to the music humming slightly, “I think this will be a fun adventure.” His voice is light, at ease. As they walk together, deeper into the abandoned carnival. The small voice insisting, urging him to turn around, go back, growing quieter and quieter as the music grew louder and louder.
Loui giggles a little, “Come on guys! Let’s explore.” She bounces forward, deeper into the carnival grounds. All around her the world changes slowly, nearly imperceptibly at first. James and Francisca follow small laughs bubbling up in their throats as they follow.
The grass turns a little greener. The buildings are a little less broken down. The smell in the air grows stronger. The sounds of laughter and the mechanical whirling of rides in the distance becoming barely audible over the sound of the upbeat circus music ringing strong in the air.
“Come on this way!” Francisca calls as she breaks into a jog towards the arching sign alit with LEDs simply reading Carnival.
From where Loui was she could see that a few bulbs were broken and the metal was rusty. Yet the sign seemed to be in considerably better shape than the park grounds they already passed. She smiled as she followed her friend, picking up the pace into a jog as well.
The music grows louder, clearly coming from behind the sign, within the carnival grounds
Loui laughs, “’Cisca slow down!” She calls, feeling like a child again, joy and excitement bubbling up in her chest.
“You're too fast!” James adds as he chases after them.
As the trio grows closer, the signs condition... improves? Loui faulters, nearly falling as she blinks. She wasn’t just seeing the sign better, the broken lights were fixed, the metal became shinier, newer. The hair on the back of her neck stands on end as the joy she was feeling suddenly feels... foreign.
“Loui hurray up!” James shouts from ahead, having passed her when she faltered.
The unease disappears just as quickly as it had appeared, “Coming!” A smile lights up on her face once more as she picks up the pace, forgetting why she had hesitated at all.
When she looks back up at the sign it seemed to be in perfect condition, inviting, shiny, and looking brand new. Loui smiles, she couldn’t wait to visit the Carnival.